A prominent African-American pastor and alumnus of the historically-black Morehouse college has been disinvited from the school’s graduation ceremonies after penning an op-ed critical of President Obama, who is scheduled to give the commencement address.

Earlier this month, Reverend Kevin Johnson, the senior pastor at Philadelphia’s Bright Hope Baptist Church, wrote a column for the Philadelphia Tribune titled “A President For Everyone, Except Black People,” arguing that the president has neglected the African-American community. “Indeed, if we objectively look at Obama’s presidency,” Johnson wrote, “African-Americans are in a worse position than they were before he became president.” He also criticized the lack of diversity in Obama’s cabinet.

The following day, Johnson said he received a call from Morehouse president Silvanus Wilson Jr. about what he called an ”untimely” column. He learned a few days later that he had been replaced at the college’s baccalaureate ceremony.

A group of pastors and fellow alumni across the country are demanding Morehouse reinstate their invitation, warning that if Wilson “turns his back on one of our most distinguished alumni because of an exercise of free speech and political commentary, he will have set Morehouse on a dangerous course and departed from the great tradition bequeathed to us.”